Blogging Around: Kevin and Murray

           In Murray's Best of Today: The Myth of the Cave blog post, Murray stresses the fact that our attention to the beauty of the world has vanished since we were children. As children, we were able to see things for the details held within them that made them unique, now we just use assimilation to describe things and look for common characteristics rather than unique details. I made the following comment below to Murray regarding what he wrote about this issue the world is facing.
           Murray, I really loved this post. I completely agree with what you are saying. I had a Hannuka party today at my house and my eight year old twin cousins came along with the rest of the family for dinner and presents. Being with my cousins all day was the best. They find the beauty out of everything. Like you were saying, they don't just see a couch as a couch. Instead, they see all the details that makes that couch so unique. I too really want to be like a child again and rewire my brain to be able to perceive the beauty of the world. The world is so beautiful and as we grow up we become less able to see what's standing right in front of us. I truly hope the coming generations steer clear of this blindness because the world is a beautiful place and it's a shame we are all missing out on it's beauty.
           In Kevin's Getting Organized: Word Documents blog post, Kevin describes his experience cleaning out his desktop of all his old word documents since middle school. Although this is a very time consuming task, that wasn't what drew my attention. Kevin's way about getting rid of his documents inspired me to do the same. He not only read all of his old documents, but he assessed them to see how much progress he has made in his writing. After doing so, Kevin only kept those that showed the most progress to use as milestones of his past. I made the following comment below to Kevin regarding his experience clearing his computer of his old documents.
           Kevin, I can completely relate to the numerous word documents filling my computer since 7th grade. Even this weekend I was told I couldn't save a windows movie because there was no room on my computer. I personally had a hard time letting go of the documents. Like you stated above, my writing has changed tremendously but my emotions I was feeling while writing each paper is still held amongst those essays. After reading this blog posted I'm inspired to read all of my documents and keep only those that will show my progress because although some of them be useless, many of them hold memories I can't replace.

Get Organized: A tribute to Aristotle-Cleaning My Room

              Being the busy bee I am, I barely have time to clean my room. After almost losing my small dog in the clutter of clothes that laid sprawled out across my floor, I finally decided to clean it. Taking a little over three hours to clean the room it finally returned to normal, but it wasn't a walk in the park to get there. Before starting, I began to doubt that my room would ever return to normal. Negative thoughts were all that roamed my head and they didn't leave for quite some time. While cleaning my room the negative thoughts stored toward the back of my mind. They didn't quite leave but overall I started to become more optimistic. After I sorted the clothes, I began to see that there wasn't as much work to be done. By organizing the clothes I organized my thoughts and the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine bright. Finally, after working for three long hours the room was pristine. I was so proud of myself for pushing through those three tough hours of hard work to achieve my goal. I finally did it and nothing feels better that achieving a much needed goal.
              This task not only helped me achieve a goal but it changed my mind. It helped me realize how important it is to makes goals. If I didn't previously make a goal I wouldn't have had any incentive to finish cleaning the room. The goal forced me to divide my work and take on each section one at a time. My mind since the task has been setting more goals, even if it is just doing homework. For example, last night I wanted to make sure I was in bed by mid-night. To achieve this task, I made sure to give each subject a specific amount of time and attention so when mid-night rolled around I was in bed. To my surprise my goal was easily met and it wouldn't have been possible if I didn't practice making goals and dividing up the tasks by cleaning my room.
               After the amazing task of cleaning my mess of room, I found out a lot more about myself in general. I didn't know how determined I was to achieve a goal. I didn't give up when I began to get tired and hungry, nor did I just do a sloppy job and shove clothes under my bed. After accomplishing the task I now know how strong my will to succeed is and when given a goal to achieve I will fight to the finish, even if it is something as silly as cleaning my room.

Captured Thought: Is the Love Real?

                    In my medical technology class we often reference and watch House episodes to get a true ethical dilemma intertwined with a medical situation. House is a TV show whose plot revolves around a snobby doctor and his team of medical assistants. Together, the team assists hundreds of different severe illnesses amongst the thousands of hours they spend in the hospital. Since the majority of us are taking the class to get a sneak preview of what our future in a medical career has to offer, these videos surprisingly do the job. These videos provide us with how to deal with an ethical dilemma that comes with an illness. We all have to acknowledge our patients lives and situations outside of the hospital, and seeing the doctors in the show address these situations preps us with knowledge on how to handle similar situations in our near future.
                     One ethical dilemma that has stuck in my mind the best is the most recently watched episode, Spin #206. In this episode, a profession cyclist has caused himself an unknown severe illness by taking illegal drugs to become the best cyclist he can be. One of Dr. House's assistants finds it horrible that he has been cheating all this time and claiming national titles, while little kids looked up to him as their role model and inspirational athlete. The assistant takes matters into her own hands and questions whether or not she should turn him into the press. A fellow doctor at the hospital over hears her thoughts and tries to shed some light on the situation. He brings up the time when he cheated on his wife with a woman he thought he loved. He asks the assistant to think about all of the kids out there who see him as a role model and how bad it would crush them if they found out everything was a lie. The assistant rebuttals with the statement that the kids will realize they never loved him because he is a cheater. The Doctor adds the closing remark and states, "When you love someone, and then realize they cheated, it doesn't mean you didn't love them before."
                      In the late afternoon on a Thursday, this quote easily passed by me. But, it wasn't until nine hours later when I realized how true the statement actually was. We all have been through times in our lives when we were lied to. I wasn't until some time later when we realized we were being lied to. For example, Santa Clause. Growing up we all awaited Santa's gifts underneath the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. It wasn't long until we heard a noise downstairs, woke up, and tip toed down the stairs just to find our parents walking around with our presents from "Santa" in hand. Sadly, we had to learn that Santa no longer existed due to the facts being present and logical. But, just because the facts and truth was out, it didn't mean I didn't love and believe in Santa before. We all need to realize that just because something changes in our life, it doesn't change our previous memories. Once we all become receptive to change and allow it to not affect on how we look back at our past, we will learn to live with change, no matter how large the impact.

Best of Week: Creating your own Philosophy

             This week Mr. Allen brought up the topic of philosophy and how to make it your own. When he first brought the topic into our conversation I sat back in my chair thinking I already knew all I needed to know about philosophy, little did I know I wasn't even close. As the conversation progressed and a definition was set for the term, it became a fact that I was drowning in a sea knowledge that I had yet to come to realization with. The days following I kept questioning the true definition of philosophy and how I can pertain it to my life. I was lost until Mr. Allen shined light on the idea about his philosophy on education. He described how he came about his major web page for all of his students to access and learn from on a daily basis. He went into detail about how he feels kids learn best and how an idea and topic can always grow when given room to prosper. By removing a privacy lock on the site, Mr. Allen had given his thoughts and all he has to offer to all of us with high hopes that we too can carry his knowledge with us and make it our own one day.
              Given Mr. Allen's take on philosophy, it made me think about how I could pertain such philosophy to my life. I thought about all the activities I am involved in and came to thinking about Cure Club. I realized all along I too had my own philosophy on a subject matter and have never come face to face with it until now. I have been president of cure club for the past two years and one thing I have accomplished in the two years in removing the "points system" (when you get a point for going to events and doing silly little things just to be considered a member). My philosophy on the matter was, if a kid signs up to do an event it really means nothing if their heart isn't in the right place. We often volunteer for several events and I would rather have three kids cheering runners on and smiling because they are happy to be there, instead of 20 kids sitting down not caring and not getting the job anywhere near done. If a kid is passionate about an event or a cause they will be all in and will take it upon themselves to consider themselves a member or not. If Cure Club is the last thing on someones mind, then it wouldn't even make their applications for college and scholarships. Passion drives the heart to do what it believes is needed, but by bribing kids to do activities that require a lot out of you can not simple be replicated by offering them a point.

Metacognition: Writing a College Essay

                  As I prepare to write my college essays the two key ideas prominent in my mind are the beginning and ending sentences. I take writing a college essay as a maze. If I know where to start and finish, all I need to do is connect the two by filling in the missing pieces and creating a path. When considering how I want to start my essay, I need to think of an unique statement that will grab the readers attention as well as bring the reader into my story. Specifically when writing a college essay, the essay prompts are completely about the writers past experiences. Since these essays can be deal breakers/makers when it comes to the application review process, I need to create an opening sentence that holds my life amongst it's words.
                  If I follow my advice and start my essay with a grand opener, I need to make sure my essay is just as grand at the end. The concluding statement needs to summarize and state the main idea of the prompt. Not only does the concluding sentence have to bring the essay to a halt, but it also needs to leave the reader wanting more or feeling like they know me. By telling too much information the reader may be overwhelmed and wanting to leave, but by just giving a taste test of your past experiences to the reader you will have them always coming back for more.
                What surprises me about my thinking is how much I consider it a story. I don't want the reader to just read the words on the page. I want the reader to fall into my story and live it as if they were there the whole time. I want them to see the world I've created around them and experience my life first hand. Growing up I always loved being told stories. What I really like about my thinking is over 17 years later I am no longer hearing these stories but creating them. I really enjoy how I've been able to take my past with me to build on my future as a writer. Although I do thoroughly enjoy my writing, I do wish I was less wordy in my essays. I constantly have to go back and check how many words I currently have in my college essay just to make sure I didn't surpass the limit. By being able to make my essays concise yet full of passion, my college essay would grab hold of my hand and fly me right through school.

Blogging Around: Maria and Murray

In Maria G's blog, Best of the Week: Born Into Brothels, Maria touches on the importance of an Identity. She focuses on the emphasis that others may create our own identity which in the long run may effect our future. 

Maria, I really liked how you touched on the fact that these kid's identities are almost being chosen for them. I completely agree that it is unfair that these kids weren't being accepted into some schools just because of where they grew up. I believe they should have given the kids a chance rather than reject them right away.

I can really connect to your insight on this movie to applying for colleges today. School's look at where your from, your race, religion, where you went to high school, and even where your parents went to college along with their income rates. In my eyes, this information shouldn't even be on the application. This is allowing your parents achievements or mistakes take part in your acceptance to the colleges you apply to, taking away your true identity.

In Murray C's blog, Carry It Forward: "The Angels" and Music, Murray touches on the similarities between John Updike and himself. Both avid musician, Murray writes about his love for music and his passion for composing music. He reflects on a moment in his life when his music theory teacher changes the way he will compose music forever.

Murray, I really loved reading this. I really liked how you reflected on your music writing strategies and were so open for change. I agree with your music theory teacher that by taking old music and making it your own or even better really bring about great change. I think we need to build our future off of our past and always use it as the starting blocks with every step we take in our lives.

Being very into music myself, I too find myself taking songs from the past and rewriting them my way. My mom, although not the best singer, used to always sing to me in the morning to wake up. Although they are older songs I constantly find myself humming and singing the songs with my own twists on them while keeping the song's main essence still present.

Best of Week: Never Take Your Life For Granted

                 Being on this earth for 17 years I have never encountered anything standing in my way to a bright future but myself, but children in India can't say the same. Imagine at 8 years old your mom looks at you and says you need to start prostitution to be able to bring home money for her to able to feed you. Many of us would probably give our moms weird looks or question her mental health, but children in India, if not given a proper education, are forced into prostitution as their only source of income. Born into Brothels, directed by Zana Briski, reveals the hardships kids in India have to go through to have a normal life making me realize just how lucky I am to have the life I was given.
                   As we grow up our emotions tend to blend with our reactions and it really shows when young Indian children are being yelled at by their parents using vulgar words and they almost seem to be used to it. Seeing this reaction on the children's face made me think about how long they have been treated like this and what truly makes parents act like this. Does the lack of money create such problems and pressures that the parents drop everything on the kids or is it just India's society? But, if the lack of money does create such problems I fear the United States' future. As our economy slowly falls into a slump, I wonder how American families today will compare to American families in 20 years, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.
                    Growing up in the suburban setting has dampened the outside world from all of us with in the suburban bubble. What happens in the bubble can never cause any harm but imagination can only piece together what happens outside of the bubble. The issues happening around the world such as the problems raised in Born into Brothels barely even reach the surface of the bubble for us to get a glimpse  of what is truly happening. I think we all need to step outside of the suburban bubble and look around. We need to help those in need who aren't as fortunate as we are. We take for granted everything we have been given since birth and barely take time to stop and just say thank you for the amazing life we have been given. We all need to take away this lesson and use it to it's fullest potential. Take time out of your life to change somebody else's life and while you do, reflect on your life and realizes how lucky you are and how much you have taken for granted. An eye for an eye may not make the whole world blind, it may clear up our vision to truly see what is out there.

Connection: Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman

              There are 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 60 minutes per hour, and 60 seconds per minute. As busy as we perceive ourselves to be, we have more time than anything in the world. With all that time however, we take for granted the amazing world we have all been given. This theory was used in both Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman's teachings.
               Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most famous Transcendentalists, encourages all of us to find, "an original relation to the universe" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Russell Goodman). Through the observation of nature, Emerson's creativity flourished and thus his writing became a second voice for nature. Emerson believed nature held the key to individualism and by finding your place in nature you too could flourish along with your creativity. If you were to look at any of Emerson's masterpiece writings,  you would see how much nature inspired him. Nature fed his creativity and encouraged him to write beautiful pieces of work that are still used today to get kids outside to find their own place in the world. What we can all take away from Emerson's hard work is that we should not take our beautiful world for granted. You should take 60 seconds of your day to step outside and be inspired by the nature that surrounds us and you too could become a Transcendentalist.
                The beauty of science is a concept not many of us understand, but Richard Feyman lived and breathed this concept. Richard Feyman brought up a scenario of a person holding a flower. If that person were to show an artist that flower they could point out how beautiful it is just by looking at it. However,  if that person were to show a scientist that flower they would pull the flower apart having it become dull instantly. Richard Feyman couldn't disagree anymore with the scenario. Richard Feyman speaks for the scientists and states that because he is a scientist he could find more ways of why that flower is beautiful. He believes that beauty doesn't just stop at this dimension. As a scientist , he could look inside of that flower and see it's cells and more, making it that more beautiful. Richard Feyman teaches us all to go outside and indulge in nature, but not by just looking at it, but by being a part of it. We shouldn't see things as one dimensional. We should look to discover something new and by looking at nature in all dimensions your creativity will flourish along with your sense of nature. By opening your eyes to a whole new world, you open your life to unlimited possibilities.
                 Nature is all around us yet we never seem to have time to indulge in all of its beauty. Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman teach us to find ourselves in nature. Their lives have been shaped by nature and the creativity nature has brought them. They too want us to experience all the world has to offer by just talking that step outside to discover our surroundings. Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman both inform each other on different ways to discover nature. Transcendentalists encourage you to put more of a mark on the world to call it your own. Meanwhile, Richard Feyman encourages to discover more than what is in front of you, look in depth to find the true beauty in nature. This relationship between Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman matters to me because I too love nature but have gotten so caught up in school and my social life that I have let nature slip between my fingers. This relationship has made me realize how much I need nature back in my life, especially for humanities.  It will help to keep my creativity flowing and to help me find who I truly am for my college essays. I never realized how much I took nature for granted until now. From this point forward, I will carry the Transcendentalists and Richard Feyman's teachings with me to help my creativity flourish and to look at the world in different dimensions.

Carry It Forward: Hindsight Bias

Last night, I sat awake at 3:30 AM studying for my AP Psych quiz by reading Myers' Psychology for AP, by David G. Meyers. At 3:30 in the morning, you can imagine the thought process is barely functioning, but when studying psychology you almost need to forget your original thought process and fall into that of a psychologist's. One of the terms that sat with me for the longest is hindsight bias. Hindsight Bias as defined by Myers' Psychology for AP, written by David G. Myers, is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have for seen it.  An I-know-it-all phenomenon. I can't even explain how fast the light bulb hovering above my head lit up when I came across this term. It just makes so much sense and has brought clarity to my life. The value of this term in my life is to bring me down to reality and realize I don't know what the future will bring, but when it happens I know I couldn't have done anything about it. When I saw my Uncle Jon in the hospital diagnosed with Lung Cancer, I truly believed he wasn't going to die, but when he passed away everyone kept saying that they knew it was going to happen and with those comments a fire brewed inside of me. If they really "knew it was going to happen" why didn't they do something? The reason why they didn't do something is because of hindsight bias, they never really knew what was going to happen until an outcome prevailed. How I will use hindsight bias in my present and future life is to never judge someone on their past actions. If someone knew something bad was going to happen based on that one choice do you really think they would have done it? No. It's hard to ease up and accept things for as they are or to admit you were wrong, but to pretend like I knew it was going to happen is even more insulting to others about their choices. No one knows what the future holds and if they did what would be the point of living? We will all live our own lives and let fate take us to where it believes we belong, without any hindsight bias commentary afterwards.